BY CONNOR LEWIS

Coffee with Obama and being asked to join the CIA.

Ok, maybe that’s a BIT of an exaggeration of the November Social Justice SHSM trip to Washington D.C.

A group of 11 SHSM kids (along with three of the 3 greatest teachers, Mr. Newman, Mrs. Kahn, and Mrs. Crans) took a 10 hour car ride to the Capital City of USA and embarked on a two day tour of the city.

It started with a trip to the “Newseum”, where we got to see pieces from the 9/11 attack, as well as some fascinating artifacts from Martin Luther King Jr. and the FBI/CIA. After that, we took a trip to the Smithsonian Museum of American Native history, where we learned all about the Aboriginal people of America, and we even bought some Buffalo Jerky!

After a good night’s rest, we headed to Arlington Cemetery where we saw J.F.K’s Memorial, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. We witnessed the changing of the guard with the soldiers (truly incredible). We went to the Holocaust Museum where we met Sylvia Rosine, a Lodz Ghetto survivor and subject of the book Yellow Star. She was such a sweetheart! The museum was surreal to be in and made students tear up in certain sections of the building just thinking about the atrocious events that took place. We learn our history to prevent it from being repeated.

After an incredible weekend of sightseeing, learning and bonding as a group, this is one trip I will never forget.